Top Stories & Trends

Oceania Christens Third Ship, Plans Fourth
Published on: November 23, 2005


Oceania Cruises named its third ship the Nautica in a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, and also announced a name for a fourth ship. In a press release, Oceania President and CEO Frank Del Rio announced the planned debut of the line's fourth ship, Marina, which is expected to be named in Hong Kong on July 7, 2007. But the release contained no more details on the fourth ship. Oceania operates three identical ships, formerly known as R-class ships built by the defunct Renaissance Cruises. Several of those ships operate in other parts of the world, but it was not immediately clear if Oceania was acquiring one of those. The Nautica's godmother, Miami philanthropist and civic leader Fana Holtz, released the traditional magnum of champagne against the ship's hull. Holtz is a former member of the board of the National Foundation for Chrones and Colitis, an ambassador of The National Parkinson Foundation, a society member of Mount Sinai Hospital, a grand tru stee for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the founder of the Sylvester Cancer Center, and the founder of the Holtz Children's Hospital at Jackson Memorial Hospital. On behalf of Holtz and the Holtz Children's Hospital, Oceania presented a $25,000 check to Dr. Aysenur Celayir, chief physician for the Newborn and Newborn Intensive Care Unit of Zeynep Kamil Hospital in Istanbul. The mid-sized Nautica holds 684 guests, as do Regatta and Insignia, the first two ships in Oceania's fleet. Soon after the naming ceremony, Nautica was scheduled to depart on its "Magical Maiden Voyage," a 24-day cruise from Athens to Singapore.